The Packers are staying busy as free agency heads into its second week. The following is an instant analysis of the latest moves:
? RASUL DOUGLAS SIGNS 3-YEAR DEAL
Rasul Douglas spent only 86 days with Green Bay last year, but he made quite an impression. The veteran corner, signed off Arizona’s practice squad in early October, had five interceptions, including a pair that clinched wins. The former West Virginia star was rewarded for his efforts on Saturday with a 3-year contract worth at least $21.5 million. The return of Douglas, along with All-Pro Jaire Alexander and ascending Eric Stokes, gives the Packers arguably the top trio of cornerbacks in the league. Coordinator Joe Barry now needs to figure out the best way to employ all three. One of the possibilities would be to play Douglas in the slot in the base defense and then have him switch positions with Alexander in the dime package. Regardless of who lines up where, having three quality corners is a luxury very few teams enjoy.
? ROBERT TONYAN SIGNS 1-YEAR DEAL
Robert Tonyan, whose disappointing 2021 season was ended by a torn ACL in Week 8, will return to the Packers and attempt to boost his stock for free agency next March. The veteran tight end signed a 1-year deal on Saturday. Tonyan was a breakout star in 2020, catching 52 passes for 586 yards. He also led all tight ends with 11 TDs. However, with an offseason to study tape, defenses adjusted to the former college wide receiver by taking away the bootleg pass and paying much closer attention to him in the red zone. Tonyan had only 18 catches and two TDs before getting hurt. It’ll be interesting to see if GM Brian Gutekunst looks to add a tight end in the draft since Tonyan could miss a few games to start the season. Young Josiah Deguara and 38-year-old Marcedes Lewis are currently the top healthy players at the position.
? EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN TO CHICAGO
The four-year career of Equanimeous St. Brown in Green Bay ended last Thursday when the wide receiver agreed to a contract with the Bears. The ex-Notre Dame star joined offensive lineman Lucas Patrick as the second member of the 2021 Packers to follow former quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy to Chicago. St. Brown never fulfilled the promise he showed as a rookie. Injuries were part of the problem. He missed 28 of 65 games, including the entire 2019 season. The other problem was a surprising lack of game speed. He never played like somebody who ran 4.48 at the Combine. To his credit, St. Brown always gave maximum effort, whether it was blocking down the field or covering kicks on special teams.
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Well, I think I had said that I would be “absolutely stunned” if they were able to bring Douglas back. Obviously that changed with the Adams trade. Great that they brought him back; hard to believe, though, that he’ll be such a game changer next year. Should be fun to see. Also, with Douglas returning, it feels good to enter a draft knowing that they won’t draft a corner early – a first in awhile. Assuming they can find a solid DE in the first two rounds this should be a pretty darn good defense – another assumption is that will be the case if they stay relatively healthy.
The problem looks to be the offensive side of the ball. While I’m happy that they got Adams for a one and a two (most people thought only a two would happen), there’s just no way that Adams can be replaced. Can he be replaced by committee? Don’t think so. But if they’re able to get either MVS back or a burner from the draft, defenses will have to respect the deep ball, which should open things up a bit more for Jones and Dillon. I expect Jones to catch more passes than he ever has had in a season and Dillon to be featured a little more as the guy getting handoffs. To me a big need at this point (beyond WR, of course) is another stud OL, either T or G, that can protect Rodgers better than the likes of Newman and Njiman. Beyond DE, with one of those first four picks I expect and hope they go with 2 WR’s and a good OL.
It’ll be interesting to see how Douglas and Campbell play next season. Can they maintain their high level from last season or will they regress a little? I’m excited to see how the defense plays as a whole.
I am thankful that they were able to bring Campbell and Douglas back. However, given Tonyan is coming off an ACL, hard to believe that he’ll be truly effective until the Playoffs and that’s if he can regain his form of 2020. Too much of a gamble. They should have went harder for someone else. Regardless of what happens with MVS the Packers need to aquire a veteran WR who is able to start. A player who is known for being a good locker room guy and who’s still productive on the field. Perhaps they’ll aquire/sign Landry from the Browns. Hopefully, the Pack will keep working on getting better players and not just count on the draft.